If you act now ...

[Kevin Finnerty]

Originally Posted by LDUB

That is a football shirt; it has a byron collar and a pocket. There is another 100% polyester shirt which costs $10 more. The link I provided was an economy line football shirt.

Some (many) of you need to take a step back and realize that all of these little things don't matter. Almost none of the players nor managers are going to notice that the OC shirt has wider stripes and none of them are going to care. No one is going to look at some plate shoes and say "gosh, the white vector on the side is just too big." No one is going to say "why is the base umpire wearing Davis brand pants which don't match standard charcoal pants?" I've read on here that some guys have shirts with US flags attached and shirts without flags so that they can match their partner no matter if his shirts have flags or not...I find that very amusing as it doesn't matter at all.

As Kyle said it makes no sense why some of you guys hate on certain color umpire shirts yet wear a shirt of that same color around town all day.

Absolutely untrue. If you don't match, it's noticed. If the shade of your shirt doesn't match, or if you're wearing some cheap, see-through fabric, or some non-standard color--whether it looks good or not--it's noticed. And if you're wearing some attention-grabbing shoes, it's noticed. Salt stains, fading, wrinkles, dusty shoes ... it's all noticed. Not by all, but by some.

At least, that's the way it is where I work.

[kylejt]

Let me tell ya, EVERYONE noticed when we rolled out like this.

If you put your ear really close to the monitor, you can hear the calliope music playing.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by kylejt

Let me tell ya, EVERYONE noticed when we rolled out like this.

If you put your ear really close to the monitor, you can hear the calliope music playing.

Is that you working the plate?

[GA Umpire]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Is that you working the plate?

I think he is the green guy in the background.

[LDUB]

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty

Absolutely untrue. If you don't match, it's noticed. If the shade of your shirt doesn't match, or if you're wearing some cheap, see-through fabric, or some non-standard color--whether it looks good or not--it's noticed. And if you're wearing some attention-grabbing shoes, it's noticed. Salt stains, fading, wrinkles, dusty shoes ... it's all noticed. Not by all, but by some.

At least, that's the way it is where I work.

How many people notice? After a game if you polled both of the teams as well as the spectators and asked them if they noticed anything about the trim on the umpires' shirts what percentage would be able to tell you that one had wider stripes? And what percentage of them would say that the difference in stripes bothered them?

I never said that shoes with a logo would not be noticed. I said no one would care. No player is sitting in the dugout and saying "I can't believe that guy is wearing those shoes on the field." Of course people will notice whatever color shirt the umpire is wearing but they will not care. It is an umpire shirt and it is fine with them.

Dirty, wrinkled pants with holes is different. You seem to equate that to using a "non-standard color" of shirt. I don't even know how you define a "non-standard color". Wasn't navy non-standard when it first came out? Polo blue had never been seen until a few years ago but not it is common.

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

And, to put it in perspective, the navy from honings didn't match the navy from +POS which didn't match the Navy from Cliff Keen which didn't match .....

There were differences in the sleeve trim width also, correct? On a navy shirt the red stripe would be thin but the bottom white stripe would be very thick.

[Kevin Finnerty]

Originally Posted by LDUB

How many people notice? After a game if you polled both of the teams as well as the spectators and asked them if they noticed anything about the trim on the umpires' shirts what percentage would be able to tell you that one had wider stripes? And what percentage of them would say that the difference in stripes bothered them?

I never said that shoes with a logo would not be noticed. I said no one would care. No player is sitting in the dugout and saying "I can't believe that guy is wearing those shoes on the field." Of course people will notice whatever color shirt the umpire is wearing but they will not care. It is an umpire shirt and it is fine with them.

Dirty, wrinkled pants with holes is different. You seem to equate that to using a "non-standard color" of shirt. I don't even know how you define a "non-standard color". Wasn't navy non-standard when it first came out? Polo blue had never been seen until a few years ago but not it is common.

You're a disagreeable person, so it's only natural for you to also disagree with whatever contention I might make on this subject.

Take a poll ... I simply choose to go along with the accepted practices out of respect for the vocation.

I wasn't equating anything with shirts that don't match. I was emphasizing that, from the tip of the button on the top of one's cap, to the tip of one's shoes---everything matters. The way a patch is affixed to a pocket matters. The way a shirt is tucked in matters. The way slacks fit matters. The way shoes are cleaned matters. Everything matters. It matters to most umpires, some baseball people and a few observers. It also matters to every evaluator and almost every assignor. We had an assignor reject the wider stripe OC black shirts. Another assigner declared at the playoff meeting: "And don't even think of showing up with one of those shirts that doesn't match anybody else's. The ones with the pink buttons like his! Get a real shirt."

It matters, and it will continue to matter to me. If it does not matter to you, go ahead and continue to think and do whatever you wish.